


Bravery

by Leonawriter



Category: Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda
Genre: Game Spoilers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 18:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1195440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonawriter/pseuds/Leonawriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or why Ravio certainly isn't, but Link's words one day help him to realise there are some things that simply have to be done, whether you're afraid or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bravery

Ravio liked tending to the shop. Link's house. Er... whatever it was now.

It was quiet, so long as he stayed indoors and never went out, even if hardly anyone came by. It was peaceful. Even though, every so often, he'd have to hide behind his tables because he could just _see_ that soldier patrolling around the house, going past the windows...

They never went inside, though. They never had to. No one important here, nosiree! 

So he waited around, and he collected Link's money every time he came back to rent something else (or to re-rent, when he, ah...  woke up again. Was that the right term? When he just appeared there, as though the godesses themselves had plonked him down right in the middle of the shop?) and the funny thing was, some few people _did_ rent out his things - other than that self-important little sage, who he was _so glad_ Link rescued, he wouldn't do any good as a painting, definitely not, and that was his _merchendise-_

Ahem.

And right now, there he was, lying liesurely on the carpet, minding his own business, when Sheerow swooped in.

One Sand Rod? _Check_.

Funny, wasn't it, but that was the only thing Link currently _didn't_ have. Customers (if there'd been any) would've been going away empty-handed, lately. Not that he minded. Link paid for everything, and he let Ravio stay at and use the house, and everyone was happy. More or less. Or, at least, they were _now_.

It took about an hour for Link to arrive at the door, looking a bit dusty, a little annoyed, and with a residual look of something Ravio could only describe as _awe_ on his face. He kicked his boots off, a sure indicator that he was going to be around for a little longer than usual - not _such_ a big surprise when it was getting dark, and if it was dark in Hyrule, then it'd be downright dangerous at night in Lorule, what with the monsters and the thieves and the sheer drops - and then shuffled over to the one couch Ravio had left in its proper position.

Link let out a sigh as he sunk down into it.

"Tough day, huh, Mr. Hero?"

The hero's eyes opened a bit more, and he sighed - and then began to regale Ravio with tales of his exploits, of woods that took you back to the beginning and creatures that were michievous yet helpful at the same time, the sword - only now did Ravio notice the truly wondrous - no, _spectacular_ \- blade that was now so unceremoniously propped against the sofa, next to Link's now battered shield.  He was told of how Link found himself at the blacksmith's (oh, Ravio remembered _that_ man, and they weren't the fondest of memories, either) and then found his way to the nearest town.

Ravio had to bite his tongue to keep from letting the bunny out of the hole a few times, from saying things he shouldn't know. Like what happened to the owners of the ruined houses, how the music still lilted through the air even when you thought everything was lost, and you didn't have enough to get by...

He didn't need to keep in his exclamations at how amazingly well Link had done, how smart he was to make it into the hideout without getting caught, how brave, to get the girl out like that, even though she might turn on him.

"But," Link objected, "I couldn't just _leave_ her there! She- she might've been annoying, but she still needed help!"

Ravio clapped his hands.

"And I guess that's something else that makes you a hero and I'm best off at being a shopkeeper for, huh, Mr. Hero?"

Even now, Link blushed and looked away. Ravio couldn't understand why. It was only the truth.

"I'm not _that_ much of a Hero... I, I mean, I got the sword, and I've come this far, but-" He shook his head. "I'm just doing what needs to be done, really!"

"I still think you're braver than I am, that's for sure!"

Link laughed. Not a laugh like he was used to, where people were cruel and sure that he would get caught, or die with his ashes on some wall somewhere, but a carefree, relaxed laugh. 

"Brave isn't doing stuff and not getting scared, it's, um, doing it even _though_ you're scared! You think I'm _not_ scared all the time? I'm a blacksmith's apprentice! I never expected any of, of this! But... I have to do it, so I _do_. Because otherwise, what hope have we all got? Who else will?"

Link didn't seem too worried at that moment, though, drifting off there and then, leaving Ravio to his thoughts.

 _I'm scared_ , he thought. It was a strange thought, because somehow, he wasn't quite so terrified any more.

He still found himself hiding under the window from Yuga's soldiers. He now had nothing to defend himself with (other than his bag of rupees, which wasn't a _weapon_ , per se) so he had to, several visits and a worryingly long time alone later, hide himself and dodge around them so that they didn't see him.

But he had to do this. He _had to_.

He didn't know whether Link was right or not, if that was all bravery was - Ravio couldn't help but think that there had to be something more to it, a touch of fearlessness, something special, something reckless and loyal and trusting that he had either lost long ago or never had in the first place - but this was something he couldn't leave to anyone else, because no one else _could_ do it.

No one else knew Hilda like he did.

Then again, no one else had betrayed her like he had, either, but he had to keep himself from thinking about that, or his feet might find themselves walking in the other direction. Maybe bravery was also putting the reason why you were afraid to one corner of your mind where it was too far away to scare you.

He didn't know how Link made it look so easy. Even when he was right there, and all that mattered any more was talking them down and making sure that Princess Hilda didn't get hurt, Link still looked every inch the hero.

Far more than Ravio. Far more than Ravio ever could be.

He was just doing what no one else could have done, after all.

...

AN: Ever since playing the game through, I had this idea in mind of Link saying this, because no kidding he'd be scared!  Some of the dialogue you can choose allows this to be a real possibility, too.


End file.
